It had been exactly two months since Ryuuji received the acceptance notification.
As always, he felt a mix of nervousness—worry, excitement, and a touch of unease—before a new journey… a new distance.
“I hope this time, I’ll make friends faster… more friends,” Ryuuji thought quietly, his eyes fixed on the train window where sunlight shimmered across his face.
At his old school, or even around his neighborhood, Ryuuji could hardly take the initiative to meet anyone. He was passive—completely passive—only daring to speak up when opportunities clearly presented themselves. Most of the time, he only had one companion: himself.
“Haizz… I guess I’ll just have to wait for another chance.”
Ryuuji sighed. He didn’t even bother to try creating those chances himself. But how could he? He was just a shy boy, withdrawn, not knowing where to start…
What he wanted most now was to be happy like the other kids in his class. But instead of joining their chatter and laughter, he pretended to sleep—his mind drawing imaginary scenes where he… had friends.
“Is it you?”
That clear, firm voice sounded—not like the usual noisy kids or pranksters. Probably someone who had been ‘well-trained,’ he thought.
Ryuuji looked up. Surprise flickered briefly, but his eyes stayed cautious, puzzled.
“Are you the one I bumped into earlier?”
He just nodded silently, eyes fixed on the girl—a small, serious girl.
He wondered, “What would she look like if she smiled?”
“My name is Airi Yukihana,” she said awkwardly.
“Sorry about last time…”
Without another word, she stood there, two innocent eyes meeting his.
Serious as she was, inside her heart, there was a beating drum.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
Thump.
Thump.
Perhaps it was both their hearts.
Thud.
The world seemed to spin. Everything darkened.
“AIRI!!” he shouted, panic in his eyes. Without hesitation, Ryuuji rushed out of the classroom, calling her name loudly.
Soon, Airi was taken to the infirmary.
Tick-tock… tick-tock…
“Airi, you’re awake!”
“Where am I?”
“You fainted in class. I asked the guard to bring you here. The teacher said your family would come soon.”
Ryuuji’s voice hurried, as if afraid she might disappear if he stopped talking.
Airi was silent. Her heart hadn’t fully calmed—but inside… it felt warm.
After class, Ryuuji went home alone while she probably left earlier with her family.
He looked up at the sky—the evening light tilting.
“The sky’s not raining but it feels heavy.”
“WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?!”
He barely stepped inside the house, still trying to figure out what happened when that voice hit him like thousands of knives.
But he wasn’t surprised—too used to that tone: his aunt’s voice, who had long harbored heavy resentment toward him.
He used to be sad. Many times. But maybe, even the sky grows tired and no longer has the strength to pour out its rain.
But this time, it wasn’t just her.
The whole family… everyone he once called “loved ones,” looked at him as if he had burned down the house with his own hands.
“What did you do that made him come here to confront us?! Do you know this family almost fell apart?!”
Ryuuji froze. He didn’t know whether to breathe, argue, or disappear.
“Who is he?”
“What did I do wrong…?”
On a day full of too many events—Airi fainting, the first apology, a first glance that made his heart skip a beat—his family became the ones to push him to the lowest point.
After talking privately with his mother, Ryuuji learned that ‘he’ was the butler who stabbed him two months ago, and some soldiers came to question him about Airi’s fainting. Everything was settled, but now his family was under the royal spotlight.
Only now did he realize no one dared approach Airi because her heart… because she was a princess.
Ryuuji said again:
“So who will be close to her then? I didn’t do anything wrong.”
His mother gently stroked his head:
“That’s right, Ryuuji. Do what you believe is right…”
Click! His father entered the room.
At first, his words were gentle, kind—but soon, they chilled Ryuuji to the bone. His father spoke plainly about how the family’s lives could be at risk if something happened.
Ryuuji’s eyes filled with sadness, glancing at his mother—two eyes that didn’t meet. How could he stand tall alone? If someone stood with him, he’d follow his heart. But who knows? He was just a shy boy, starting to hesitate. Every step forward felt like a thousand hands pulling him down.
Ryuuji was just a boy. No weapons, no strength, no power. He couldn’t do anything.
He went back to his room. No tears, no fear—rather, he didn’t know what to do: untangle his thoughts with his own hands, or wait.
The next morning, Ryuuji woke up, realizing he had fallen asleep by the window. Outside, it had rained last night—a light drizzle, just enough to soften the ground beneath his feet.
He went downstairs to breakfast with his family.
The atmosphere at the table was heavier than usual, covered in a dull, gloomy haze.
Ryuuji sensed his father trying to break the silence—smiling, joking, steering the conversation to trivial matters.
But his mind was empty—so empty that those sounds felt like strange echoes.
“It’ll get easier,” he thought.
Getting used to the sadness fading away, the wounds turning into fake laughter.
Because deep inside, Ryuuji was slowly turning into an empty shell.
The first lesson passed ten minutes in.
Ryuuji sat absentminded, eyes lost in the void ahead. The blackboard, the teachers, the lessons… all like a silent, meaningless film.
The bell for recess rang.
The class suddenly burst into loud chatter and laughter.
Ryuuji stayed still.
He quietly tilted his head, eyes unconsciously fixed on a girl.
She sat quietly, hands clenched tightly on the desk.
Airi’s gaze dropped, avoiding every look around her—as if facing them would tear her apart with cold rejection.
For a moment, Ryuuji’s eyes met that image.
But like everything else inside him now—his heart no longer had the strength to respond.
